When Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, supreme commander of
Allied forces in Europe, reviewed the major events of the Second World War, he
identified four “Tools of Victory” -- items that had a significant impact on
the war. His list included the Bazooka, the Jeep, the Atomic Bomb and a single
aircraft type – the C-47. Of the more than 10,000 C-47s built, none is more
central to the story of World War II than the aircraft that led the D-Day
Invasion, That’s All, Brother.

Constructed at the Douglas Aircraft facility in
Tulsa, Okla., in early 1944, That’s All,
Brother was delivered to the 438th Troop Carrier Group (TCG)
during the second week of April. The 438th TCG was already deployed
to England in preparation for the planned invasion of Europe. That’s All, Brother was assigned to the
87thTroop Carrier Squadron, already renowned for their exceptional
flying skills. These skills earned them the job of paving the route into France
for the largest airborne invasion in history.

That’s
All, Brother was selected to lead the invasion, by
Lt. Col. John M. Donalson, commander of the 438th TCG. Donalson, who planned to pilot the lead
airplane himself, picked That’s All,
Brother because of its name, which he thought would be a clear message to
Adolf Hitler.

That’s
All, Brother was quickly outfitted with primitive
radar called the SCR-717. It was hoped that with this specialized radar, That’s All, Brother would be able to
deliver her troops, the men of the 101st Airborne Division, directly
onto their targets. The 101st was charged with securing German
strongholds and key inland routes from the Normandy beaches.

That’s
All, Brother departed Greenham Common, just before
midnight on June 5, 1944. 800 other C-47s, scattered bases around the English
countryside began to assemble in formation, a task made more difficult because
they were flying without navigation lights and under radio silence to avoid
enemy detection.

Carrying more than 13,000 airborne troops, the mass
formation led by That’s All, Brother
flew south across the English Channel.
As they approached the French coast, the aircraft began to encounter
heavy enemy flak. Soon after, they encountered unexpected low clouds further
complicating the mission.

Pushing on in face of adversity, That’s All, Brother succeeded in leading
the invasion force into France, dropping her paratroopers at 0048 on June 6,
1944. As American boots touched the ground that night, the Liberation of Europe
had begun.

Returning to England, the scale of the full invasion
was visible to the pilots as more than 5,000 ships carrying over 150,000 men
steamed toward the French beaches where they would begin landing at dawn. That’s All Brother wasn’t done either.
Flak damage was repaired and she returned to service later in the day,
delivering a glider load of troops and equipment to the men of the 82nd Airborne, also fighting in Normandy.

As soon as airfields were secured in France, That’s All, Brother flew needed supplies
into the country and evacuated wounded troops back to England.

That’s
All, Brother would continue to serve during the
remainder of the war in Europe, participating in Operation Dragoon, Operation
Market Garden, and Operation Varsity – and in the relief of the beleaguered
defenders of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.